Which NBA players have a cat? One man is on a (Twitter) mission to find out

Beginning in October, a Twitter account and website called NBA Cat Watch began to document one of the most overlooked aspects of the National Basketball Association: players’ cats.

The man behind the website diligently and anonymously documents and researches the cat life of the NBA, with tweets directed at players, tips from followers and highlights gleaned from stories, television appearances and more.

So who is this mysterious nbacatologist? And why did he start this project to track players’ cats? The man behind NBA Cat Watch agreed to an email Q&A with For The Win:

FTW: Are you an NBA player or a cat? Or just a regular person? And if so, why anonymous?

NBA Cat Watch: I am not an NBA player or a cat. I am an unemployed American male with an interest in both, access to the internet, and lots of free time. I don’t use my name on the site, but I’m not really anonymous. If someone dug around for a few minutes, they could figure out who I am, but I would caution against that as who I am in real life is way less interesting than a twitter profile dedicated to uncovering and listing all the cats owned by current NBA players.

FTW: Will you expand to other animals? What are your thoughts on NBA Bird Watch?

NBA Cat Watch: I’m sticking with cats. On my site I usually do note when I find a player that owns another pet, but cats are my focus. Speaking of birds though – Washington Wizards forward Kevin Serafin had two birds. One was named Kelly I believe. He got rid of them because of the noise and now just has reptiles. Also I think Patrick Paterson might own a couple lizards as well. And Corey Brewer has a goat! Knowing things like this makes watching games a little more fun.

FTW: Has tweeting at NBA players ever gotten a response?

NBA Cat Watch: The only NBA player to respond to me was DeShawn Sims, who told me he was terrified of cats. He was later cut from the Celtics roster before the season started, but I really appreciated the response, and wish him the best. I hope it wasn’t because of that. Quite a few players are scared of cats, surprisingly.

@Peedi3416 Thanks for the reply Deshawn. Apparently Z-Bo is too. Good luck this season!

I start by asking players, then if I suspect they have a cat, or just have a hunch, I’ll find relatives or close friends and contact them. This whole thing would be creepy if it wasn’t about cats, I’ve started to realize. I’ve had better luck with family members. Two wives, two sisters and one brother have confirmed cat ownership statuses for me.

NBA Cat Watch: I’m not ready to answer this question since my next step is to get an interview with an NBA cat and I don’t want to snub any potential party. That said, Alexey Shved’s cat Chica is particularly photogenic in a regal, Grace Kelly sort of way.

There are currently five confirmed NBA cats, and two of them belong to Nicolas Batum, who hasn’t posted clear enough pictures of them yet. Look, they’re all cute, they’re cats.

Ricky Rubio did foster a kitten though, so maybe in terms of combined cuteness that wins?

FTW: Who were you most surprised owned a cat?

NBA Cat Watch: Brook and Robin Lopez both own cats. Both of those cats have their own Instagram accounts. However that’s probably only surprising if you aren’t familiar with Brook and Robin Lopez. Mavericks Center Samuel Dalembert owned 10 cats, that now live on Marc Jackson’s horse ranch. Every detail of that sentence is surprising.

FTW: What kind of cat would best succeed in the NBA?

NBA Cat Watch: Physically, all cats would be ideal NBA competitors. Agility, leanness, jumping ability, sharp vision – these strengths would assure dominance on the court. However, mentally they have some challenges. Aloofness, inscrutability, moodiness, they out-Rondo Rajon Rondo. Table tennis or badminton might be more in line with their skill set.

FTW: What inspired you to start NBA Cat Watch in the first place?

NBA Cat Watch: One day I made a joke on Twitter about wanting an NBA cat census. And then I started taking it seriously. I mean, it’s still a joke, but one I take very seriously. Everybody has to find their niche. Plus I somehow managed to convince myself that one day this might help me get a job. That part I’m a little less clear on than the rest of the project…

FTW: What’s the best type of cat for an NBA player to own?

NBA Cat Watch: Interjecting my own politics, obviously a spayed/neutered shelter cat. Kings owner Ranadive Vivek’s family has a rescue named Fiji, which I found out about through his daughter. But really, any cat would be good for an NBA player to own. They are for the most part very young men with a windfall of money, surrounded by people who want access to their wealth and fame. A cat doesn’t care about any of those things, just feed it and scratch its back. There is nothing that goes on in a nightclub anywhere near as interesting as a cat sleeping in a patch of sun on your bed.

Which NBA players have a cat? One man is on a (Twitter) mission to find out

DeShawn Sims, for the record, is terrified of cats.

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